Bay of Plenty · Hand & upper limb
Specialist physiotherapy for hand, wrist and elbow injuries — from fingertip lacerations to post-surgical recovery and complex nerve repair. Eighteen years on Fraser Street, and the only dedicated hand therapy clinic in the Western Bay of Plenty.
§ 01 — The practice
Bay Hand Therapy opened in February 2007 to bring specialist hand therapy to the Western Bay of Plenty. Recognising a gap in the region, Danielle Ellis moved back to her hometown and set up the practice. Eighteen years later, six specialists work alongside hand surgeons, GPs and physiotherapists from across the region.
Hand therapy is the advanced assessment and treatment of hand, wrist and elbow injuries by physiotherapists or occupational therapists who have completed extensive post-graduate training. Every clinician here is a registered hand therapist.
Years of dedicated hand-therapy practice
Specialists across the team
Locations — Tauranga, Katikati, Te Puna
Splints custom-made on site (we lost count)
§ 01.2 — Accredited & recognised
§ 02 — What we do
Every patient journey starts with a comprehensive assessment, then unfolds across the modalities below. Care is evidence-based, hands-on, and tailored to your goals.
Service · 01
On your first appointment we provide a comprehensive assessment: verbal history, physical examination of the affected limb, working diagnosis and a treatment plan with clear goals.
Service · 02
We assess and treat injuries from the elbow to the fingertips — including post-surgical patients, both elective and trauma. Anything affecting the upper limb falls in scope.
Service · 03
Each follow-up reassesses progress and adapts the plan. Treatment draws from a wide toolkit of evidence-based interventions, tailored to your specific condition and goals.
Service · 04
ACC-covered telehealth consultations available at no charge for eligible ACC patients. Ideal for follow-ups, exercise progressions and rural patients who can't easily travel to clinic.
§ 03 — Scope
From fingertip lacerations to elbow tendonopathies, our scope covers the full upper limb, plus pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation.
We accept self-referrals and complete ACC claims forms on your behalf when injuries are accident-related.
§ 04 — Who you'll meet
Five hand therapists and one warm welcome at the front desk. Together, decades of clinical and post-graduate training in upper-limb rehabilitation.
№ 01 · Founder
Hand Therapist · Director
Otago graduate (1997, with credit) with 18 years of hand-therapy experience. Junior rotation at Waikato Hospital, hand trauma centres in the UK, then Auckland private practice — before founding Bay Hand Therapy in 2007. Special interests: nerve recovery, wrist injuries, complex finger fractures.
Qualifications
BPhysio (Otago, 1997, with credit) · MPNZ · HTNZ
№ 02
Hand Therapist
Kinesiology (Hons) at Victoria, Canada (1997); BScPhysio at UBC (2000); Masters in Health Practice — Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (First Class Honours, 2006). PGCert Western Acupuncture. Registered hand therapist since 2010. Special interest: sports injury rehabilitation.
Qualifications
BKin (Victoria) · BScPhysio (UBC) · MHPrac 1st Class · PGCert Acupuncture · MPNZ · HTNZ
№ 03
Hand Therapist
Otago graduate (2003). Four years in hospital and private musculoskeletal physiotherapy, then Hand Therapy training at AUT (2007). PGCert Acupuncture and a Masters in Health Practice with distinction. Joined Bay Hand Therapy in 2017.
Qualifications
BPhysio (Otago) · Hand Therapy Cert AUT · PGCert Acupuncture · MHPrac (Distinction) · MPNZ · HTNZ
№ 04
Hand Therapist
AUT graduate (1997). Four years in hospital acute paediatrics, volunteer work in Cambodia, West Auckland practice, then a private hand-therapy clinic. Master's in Health Practice (2018) with hand-therapy certification. Joined in 2018 with eight years of hand-therapy experience. Interests: trauma, post-surgical rehab, paediatrics.
Qualifications
BPhysio (AUT, 1997) · MHPrac w/ Hand Therapy Cert (2018) · MPNZ · HTNZ
№ 05
Hand Therapist
BPhysEd (2001) and BPhysio (2005), both Otago. Private practice physiotherapy, then hand therapy training through AUT (2016). Holds a PGCert in Ergonomics and Human Factors. Joined the team in 2022.
Qualifications
BPhysEd · BPhysio (Otago) · Hand Therapy Cert AUT · PGCert Ergonomics · MPNZ · HTNZ
№ 06
Administrator · Receptionist
Kyra started with Bay Hand Therapy in 2016 and is the friendly face of the front desk — bookings, ACC paperwork, and the first hello when you walk in.
§ 05 — Fees
Whether your treatment is funded by ACC or paid privately, here's what you'll pay. Additional charges may apply for materials and custom splinting.
For accepted ACC claims. We complete claim forms on your behalf for accident-related injuries.
Initial visit co-payment
First appointment
$40
Follow-up visit co-payment
Per visit
$30
Telehealth consult
No co-payment for ACC telehealth
Nil.
Additional charges apply for materials and splinting.
Initial consultation
First appointment · 45–60 min
$168
Follow-up visit
Per visit
$126
Visitors to NZ covered by ACC for accident injuries.
All fees in NZD · current as at 2026 · subject to material costs for splinting
§ 06 — Visit us
Our main clinic is on Fraser Street, with satellite clinics in Katikati and Te Puna. Free patient parking at the main location.
№ 01 · Main clinic
57 Fraser Street, Tauranga 3112
№ 02 · Satellite
Katikati Health Centre,
4 Clive Road, Katikati 3129
№ 03 · Satellite
Bespoke Physiotherapy,
4 Te Puna Road, Te Puna 3174
Ready when you are
ACC, private, or telehealth — call us, email, or book online. We accept self-referrals and complete claim paperwork on your behalf.
